Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Bella's Proposal
Bella was so shocked by Edward's sudden appearance that the budding scream in her throat never passed her lips. His icy touch sent shivers down her spine, making goose pimples erupt on her skin. Bella tried to resist, but it was futile, he was too strong. She would end up breaking her hand if she tried to hit him. She felt so weak and fragile against his superior strength, it was frightening.
"Let go of me!" She hissed, finally recovering her voice.
Edward ignored her request, his Adonis-like features were set into a determined frown. It was obvious he had been biding his time, waiting for just the right opportune moment to make his move. One thing he hadn't factored in, however, was Jacob's connection to Bella. Some innate instinct inside him always knew when she was in distress.
Out of nowhere he materialized, his dark eyes filled with hostility, his face a mask of fury. He stood directly in Edward's path, stopping him in his tracks. The two of them faced off with one another, the air quivering with tension, the music, the crowds of people all seemed to fade into the background, until it was just the two of them, their staring contest taking on a much bigger meaning consequently.
Bella, still caught up in Edward's icy grip, gazed in alarm at Jacob, begging him with her eyes to remain calm enough not to start a fight, not here, not now, with so many witnesses just around the corner.
Jacob met her anxious gaze for a second. He nodded his head subtly, acknowledging that he understood her silent communication. They had it down to a fine art now, being able to commune with each other without exchanging a single word. He stood down, and then turned slightly, catching his pack brothers' eyes where they stood by the entryway, faces serious and watchful. When they took in Jacob's expression, they started moving, weaving their way agilely through the partiers, almost like they were dancing, too. In half a minute they surround their Alpha, towering over Edward, making it look like he had shrunk in comparison.
Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Edward finally let Bella go. He stepped back as she rubbed her aching wrist, trying to get the blood flow back into her frigid skin. She left his side and ran over to Jacob, tucking herself in between him and Quil, who stood on his left side.
"You've gone too far this time, Cullen." Jacob warned in a low voice.
"It's not what you think." Edward argued, his tone full of irritation at being blindsided by his rival. "I just wanted to talk, that's all."
"You had your hands on her." Jacob growled menacingly.
The thought of Cullen's deathly touch being anywhere near Bella's precious skin filled him with rage. If it had just been the two of them, outside, somewhere remote, with no witnesses, Jacob would have phased and ripped Cullen apart buy now. He was showing an incredible amount of restraint not giving into the urge. He glanced to the side at Bella, to find her looking up at him with pride, she alone knew what holding back was costing him.
"Now, explain yourself." He demanded.
The other pack members looked back and forth between their faces, confused and wary.
"I don't have to tell you anything." Edward seethed. "The way you are acting is the sole reason why I wanted to communicate with Bella alone without having to deal with all the heightened testosterone. With her, I can have a reasonable conversation, with you and your kind it is nigh on impossible."
While he was talking, Edward subtly kept searching the room, hoping some of the others from his coven would come to his rescue. The pack had him backed into a corner in every sense.
"Not good enough!" Jacob snarled. "You used Paul as a distraction to lure me away from Bella's side. You had this planned from beginning since we got here. Now tell us what you know, leech."
The pack all folded their arms across their chests as Jacob spoke. Bella found herself doing the same. It was kind of funny, but mostly menacing.
And then Edward caught sight of Alice descending the stairs, her white skin glowing in the purple light.
"Alice?" He called out, breathing a sigh of relief now that he had back up.
Alice looked right at him as soon as he called her name, despite the thudding bass that should have drowned his voice. He waved eagerly, and watched her face as she took in the group of werewolves leaning over her adopted sibling. Her eyes narrowed.
But, before that reaction, her face had been full of stress and fear. She skipped to her brother's side.
Jacob and the others all leaned away from her with uneasy expressions, while he kept a tight hold on Bella's waist.
"I need to talk to you." Alice murmured in Edward's ear.
"I have to go." Edward said, ignoring Jacob and speaking directly to Bella. "This has all been a misunderstanding."
Bella glared back at him. "One of many in your case." She sneered. "When will you stop using that pathetic excuse?"
Edward grimaced, while Alice appeared confused. She took her brother's arm, intending to lead him away from the hostile werewolves, when Jacob threw his long arm out to block her way, bracing his hand against the wall.
"Hey, not so fast."
Alice stared up at him, eyes wide and incredulous. "Excuse me?"
Jasper appeared quite literally out of nowhere. One second it was just Alice and Edward against the wall, Jacob blocking the exit, and then Jasper was standing on the other side of Jacob's arm, his expression terrifying.
Jacob matched Jasper's stormy glare as he slowly pulled his arm back. "We have a right to know what's going on." He demanded again.
Jasper stepped in front of his mate protectively, Jacob and his pack braced themselves.
"Hey, hey." Bella spoke up, worried that a fight was going to kick off. It would be disastrous if it did. She had to put a stop to it. "This is a party, remember?" She said pointedly. "You all need to calm down!"
Jacob took a deep breath, his fingers flexing around Bella's waist as he tucked her more firmly into his side. She was right, of course. He was annoyed with himself that he so nearly let things get out of control. He glared in Edward and Alice's direction, while Jasper glowered at him. Alice's face was suddenly thoughtful.
"Its okay, Jas. He actually has a point."
Jasper did not relax his position.
Bella was sure the suspense of the situation was going to make her head explode if the tension between the two groups carried on much longer. "What did you see, Alice?" She asked tersely. "Stop being cryptic and tell us what you know."
Alice stared at Jacob for one second, and then turned to Bella, evidently having decided the best course of action was to let the werewolves hear what she had to say.
"The decision has been made."
"What decision? Are you going to Seattle now? Do you know where the newborns are?" Bella questioned urgently, glancing anxiously up at Jacob as she did so.
"No."
"What do you mean no?" Jacob reacted with frustration right away. "That was the whole excuse you gave for coming back here in the first place. Or was that a lie?"
Bella felt the color drain from her face. Her stomach lurched as she realized the enormity of what this meant. "They're coming here. Aren't they?" She choked out.
The Quileute boys watched silently, reading every play of emotion on their faces. They were rooted in place, and yet not completely still. All their hands trembled slightly as they tried to maintain control.
Jacob's hands were the only ones which remained steady as a rock as he kept a tight hold on Bella. "Has Bella guessed correctly? These newborn vampires are coming here?"
"Yes." Alice confirmed.
"For?"
Alice stared at Jacob with unblinking eyes. "To destroy you. Your pack. And the whole town." She intoned, her eyes resting on Bella's anxious face. "They are determined to finish what they started."
Bella tried to swallow; nausea welled in her throat. She heard Jacob emit a low growl, his arm tightening automatically around her. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had thought it was all over after the redhead had been dealt with. Now there was a bunch of out of control, murderous newborns hellbent on exacting revenge for the death of their leader. Someone had to be overseeing them, directing their actions, they were not working alone.
Jasper's expression was disapproving. Bella could tell that he didn't like discussing this in front of the werewolves, even though it involved them directly. "We can't let them come that far. There are not enough of us to protect the whole town."
"I know." Alice said, her face suddenly desolate. "But it won't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will come here to search."
The noise of the party was overwhelming in the background. All around them, friends and neighbors and petty enemies ate, laughed, and swayed to the music, oblivious to the fact that they were about to face horror, danger, maybe even death.
"This can't be allowed to happen." Bella cried in anguish. "There must be something you can do."
Edward looked at her, his face full of pity and concern. "For your own safety you should leave, Bella." He advised. "They will come directly for you, especially because of your known connection to him." He glanced hostilely in Jacob's direction, before his expression smoothed out again. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about alone. I know of a safe place – "
"Don't even contemplate it, bloodsucker." Jacob snarled menacingly.
Edward bridled. "You'd rather keep her here? In the direct path of danger?"
"Stop it!" Bella ordered in a low, forceful voice. "This is not helping." She tugged on Jacob's hand, making him look down at her. "I think there is only one solution." She said to him.
Jacob gazed into her eyes, perplexed for a second, then slowly dawning realization at what she was proposing hit him like a knife to the gut. "No, Bella. No. You can't. If there is one thing I agree with the leech about, it's keeping you out of harm's way."
"Jake, if the newborns attack the town, then no one is safe. This way we may be able to stop them before they get that far. Use me as the lure, draw them toward a place that we've chosen, one we know we can defend. That way, if we all work together, we can end this before it spirals out of control."
A/N-thanks for reading!